This invention relates to central vacuum cleaning systems, specifically to an inlet that can be integrated with registers commonly used with heating and air conditioning vents in residential or commercial buildings.
Central vacuum cleaning systems are becoming more common in residential housing and commercial buildings. Central vacuum cleaning systems are comprised of a main power and debris receptacle usually located in a remote location such as a basement or garage, a system of pipe ductwork which extends beneath the floor and between the walls to inlets located throughout the residential or commercial unit, and a hose with an assortment of wands or brush attachments. A provision is made for each inlet to automatically seal closed when not in use in order to provide full suction to any other inlet currently in use.
Central vacuum cleaning systems have experienced growth in popularity due to many factors such as increased vacuum power, convenience, effect on increasing the value of a home, and decreasing the noise by locating the power unit remotely. Another driver for the recent growth of demand for central vacuum cleaning systems can be linked to the increase in consumer awareness of the dangers of indoor air quality. Recent studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicate that indoor levels of many air pollutants may be two to five times higher, and occasionally up to 100 times higher, than outdoor levels. These are staggering figures, especially given that most people spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors. As a result, the EPA has declared indoor air quality as one of the top five most urgent environmental risks to public health.
According to the American Lung Association, poor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to lung disease, including respiratory tract infections, asthma, and lung cancer. In addition, poor indoor air quality can cause headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea and fatigue. The American Lung Association further reports that lung disease claims close to 335,000 lives in America every year and is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Over the last decade, the death rate for lung disease has risen faster than almost any other major disease. It is also estimated that as much as 25 percent of the United States population suffers from allergy symptoms. The EPA studies show that asthma is the leading chronic illness of children in the United States, afflicting 6.3 million children. The studies also show that asthma deaths and the number of Americans diagnosed with asthma continue to increase each year, afflicting over 20 million Americans and causing nearly 2 million emergency room visits and nearly half a million hospitalizations due to asthma.
As a result of the increased awareness of the importance of home air quality to public health, consumers are increasingly looking for products with recent enhancements such as high-efficiency particulate air, HEPA, and ultra-low penetration air, ULPA, filters in an attempt to trap pollutants. Unfortunately, high efficiency filters such as HEPA and ULPA do not adequately solve the problem of poor air quality in the home. The air pollutants trapped by these filters remain in the home until the filter is otherwise disposed of or cleaned. This means the pollutants could remain in the home for months depending upon replacement or cleaning intervals. In addition, during the filter replacement or cleaning process, the consumer is directly exposed to the pollutants.
To address the deficiencies in the traditional filtration approaches for removing air pollutants, consumers have turned to central vacuum cleaning systems. These systems are often recommended for allergy sufferers because they can prevent allergens from being re-circulated inside the home. In addition, central vacuum cleaning systems are recommended for reducing triggers for asthma such as microscopic dust mites, pollen, and animal dander. The Environmental Health Center of the National Safety Council recommends keeping the house clean by using a vacuum system that can be vented to the outside of the residence, such as a central vacuum cleaning system. Dirt and pollutants are sucked through the pipe ductwork to the main unit located away from the living areas of the residence. The debris can then be stored in a bag or directly exhausted outdoors, preventing the consumer from inhaling any vacuum emissions.
Central vacuum cleaning systems provide a clear step towards maintaining a clean and healthy environment in the home. However, the price and complexity of installation make such systems difficult for the majority of consumers to obtain. In most cases, professional installation is required due to the complexity of installing the pipe ductwork through the walls and floors of an existing home. This adds significant cost to the system, making them accessible primarily to the upper end housing industry. Home builders are beginning to recognize the growing awareness of central vacuum cleaning systems, and have begun to pre-pipe upper end new construction homes for these systems in an effort to provide additional value to potential buyers. While this decreases the system installation cost for the buyer of a new construction home, it does not solve the problems faced by consumers in existing homes or less costly new homes who must still pay the high installation charges to have their home retrofitted for a system. In addition, central vacuum cleaning systems are mostly permanent installations in that only the main power and debris receptacle could potentially be moved from one residence to another. The consumer would not be able to relocate the numerous inlets and extensive pipe ductwork that have been permanently installed throughout the walls and floors. In making the decision to purchase a central vacuum cleaning system, the consumer must consider issues such as property ownership and the length of planned residence to determine if a system should be installed.
Current inlets for central vacuum cleaning systems do not adequately attempt to simplify or decrease the cost of system installations. These inlets are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,721 to Wall; U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,967 to Graham; U.S. Pat. No. 5,886,299 to Ward; U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,170 to Hayden; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,841 to Houston. Each of them must be mounted to a wall, baseboard, or floor in the home. Consequently, a skilled professional must be used to retrofit an existing home for a central vacuum cleaning system due to the complexity of running pipe ductwork through floors and walls to be connected to these inlets. There is therefore a need for an economical inlet that will facilitate simplistic and lower cost installations of vacuum cleaning systems.